njkayaker

Seems bizarre and irresponsible (to take a cat or a dog). If people think this is anywhere near being a good idea, maybe they should stick with pet rocks.

Seems much more preferable (for the cat and the rider) to "foist" in on cat-loving friends (and return the favor).

On drugs, lots of drugs.

====

This is one of those things, where, if you have to ask, it's a bad idea!

Machka 

I actually won't camp next to someone who has a dog when I'm in the mountains.

Shimagnolo

Did he have a camera? I'm thinking somewhere on a Japanese counterpart to YouTube, there must be a REALLY great video clip!

cyclokitty 

The thought of bringing any of the cats I had growing up on a bike tour gives me nervous sweats. Would I bring the extremely picky eater? Who would only eat warmed up cat food with a tablespoon of oil from a can of sardines on top? Or the crazy cat whose favourite sleeping spot was the top of my head and never got on well with any other mammal? Although the stray, who adopted us regularly brought home "food" so my mom figured he was earning his keep even if no one wanted a bowl of sparrows or baby squirrels, could come in handy if I ran out of food.

joe_5700

It really depends on your cat. I had a male cat that would have been PERFECT for touring. Unfortunately his kidneys failed for an unknown reason (probably Chinese additives) before I got back into biking. If your cat loves to go for car rides, it may be good candidate. Try pulling the feline in a trailer and see how it does. I am thinking about taking one of my dogs on an overnight tour in the spring. The bad thing is my best choice is my 125 pound Rottweiler who is perfectly behaved and listens to every command. I think I will be "forced" to bring my VERY hyper retriever/shepherd mix who weighs around 50 pounds instead.

jcm

Cats are very cool animals, and I love them. Therefore, my advice is to not bring a cat on tour. They are just shy of being completely wild. Having been the last of the domesticated creatures to join the campfire circle, cats are always on the cusp of "going bush." Too much to worry about, and you will worry about it far more than the cat will worry about you.

Those two brothers look like they could use a bath, and the poor cat is probably wormy...

footloose

I love all my pets...at one time I had a horse, 2 dogs and 8 cats all at once.
That's why whenever I traveled, often for a month at a time, I hired a responsible older teen to come in and care for them while I was gone. I kept in touch with her periodically during the trip and could enjoy myself, knowing my pets were comfortable at home and well taken care of.

Seems to me that taking an animal along on a tour would unnecessarily just complicate things. Like where to camp (might not allow pets or be dangerous for them), having to pack more food and water (some pets will only eat and drink familiar fare) and having them exposed to extreme weather conditions like heat, cold, humidity and storms that would be difficult and frightening for them.

Not a lot of fun for the animal and less fun for you also to have to worry about them.


There once was a woman motorcyclist journalist that traveled with a small terrier like dog. She rigged up a platform for the dog to stand or lie down on the tank in front of her and rode for many years like that until she was killed in an head-on with a transport truck. Ironically, the dog survived.
Unbeknownest to most people though, was the fact that her dog(s) had been killed many times from falling off the platform and she would just replace them with a similiar looking terrier and carry on. It was just the last one that outlived her.

Muttleyone

I think taking a cat is great idea. You can take your bell off the handlebars and then duct tape the cat there, and whenever someone cuts in front of you just squeeze the cat. WWwwhhhheeeerrrrrr!!!!!

Mutt

gregw

Kitty, kitty

Chiricocycle

My brother enjoyed having a preying mantis around in his dorm room. To each his own.

Rats can make surprisingly good pets. A woman at a local pet store told me that they were her second favorite pets, and she had tried a wide assortment of pets.

Wild rats have different personalities. Domestic rats have been selected for being more agreeable.

I had three Himalayan rats and enjoyed them. They had exotic patterning, something like Siamese cats. Mine were called "flame-pointed Himalayans" -- they were white with beige- or apricot-colored tips.

There are other exotic breeds as well.

Many of these rats are sold in pet stores as snake food... Sad. They are intelligent, playful, sensitive creatures and deserve more respect.

They enjoy company. I would suggest getting more than one. Littermates tend to be close.

It wouldn't be hard to design a home for them on the bike. It would help if they had a secure room (even a small one) where they could feel safe -- something like a burrow (they feel a lot safer sometimes when they have a private-feeling space of their own, where they can't be seen). You could make a lightweight tunnel(s) for them to move from one chamber or room to another. They could be given a choice of rooms with views and rooms without.

Easily removable walls are another possibility.

Small, young rats tend to be more playful, and lighter in weight. And they can travel through smaller tubes and holes, and be happy within a smaller space. They also eat less.

Younger animals would probably be better at adapting to a new (touring) lifestyle.

They like all kinds of scraps, and especially enjoy sprouted seeds and grains, nuts, pieces of fresh vegetables and fruit.... If you feed them properly, they will be healthier and livelier, and will look better.

There are some good websites and books that go into more details about care and diet.

Please let us know what you end up doing, and post some pics too if you feel like it.

Chiricocycle

If you choose to go with a cat(s), kittens might make more sense than an adults. Among other things, they would be likely to adapt more easily and quickly, and learn to find this lifestyle normal. You could take them out on shorter rides to get them used to it.

Would highly recommend a home that they could not jump out of.

Some adult cats would be very stressed by this sort of thing.

Some of them don't like it, and meow their disapproval (I've ridden with cats).

Others are mellower.

A high percentage of pound cats are put down, so you might be saving a life. (Some pounds are better than others about this.)

Giving them the option of being in a visually quiet space where they don't have to see cars passing close by, etc., etc. would probably be a good idea.

Some breeds are mellower than others, on average.

Maine Coons tend to have wonderful personalities. Ragdolls also tend to be very mellow and agreeable and relaxed. These two breeds also tend to be much quieter than some others. (Siamese are among the more vocal breeds.)

njkayaker

Bizarre.

I'd suspect that the advice to bring a pet along is not very useful from people who have never done it.

Chiricocycle

Some people really appreciate having a friendly pet along. Nothing 'bizarre' about it. Just differences of personality.

Here is an introduction to exotic breeds of domesticated rats:

First a picture of some Himalayans:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rat_siamese.JPG

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fancy_rat

Chiricocycle

Here are some great pictures of various domesticated pet rat breeds, and their human comrades and friend-companions:

https://bayimages.net/pets/rats/world-of-rats/i5994.html

https://bayimages.net/pets/rats/

gregw

Touring with rats

robow

It's all the rage this season says the cat to the rat to the bunny.

BobcatHerman

I bike a lot with my cat, Herman. He's a total stud about it. I definitely agree that not all cats are made for touring, just like not all people are into it. I have been traveling with my little guy since he was a kitten... living in my truck and climbing and biking. I spent a fair amount of time training him to come when I whistled. Now that he's a little older, he doesn't always listen (you know, those rebellious teens.) However, I'm looking into some sort of tracking device for him so that I always know where he is. I think bears and hawks, etc. are an important thing to think about for both you and your cat when touring. Also be prepared to BE trained by your cat as much as you train the cat.

Camel

Cats make great socks & slippers. Very warm.

cyclokitty 

My mother likes to threaten the cats to turn them into slippers if they don't get out from under her feet.

EZ-SportAX Curt

I put my cat in my handlebar bag and held him there untill I took off on the bike, when I let him go he was out of that bag in about half a second. So I would say no unless you tied them to something where they couldn't get away. But then again you would take the chance of your cat clawing the crap out of you.

b_young

I would suggest that whatever you are going to let the cat ride in (trailer, basket...) that you make it a part of the cats daily life now. Feed the cat in it...

rhm

I'm thinking you'd have the best luck if you got a kitten right before you went on tour, and got it used to the routine of touring before it got used to the idea of your house = its territory. But what do I know....

Chiricocycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV4vJa2Ys3w

Chiricocycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbNhK...eature=channel

Chiricocycle

Bat transducers might help with tuning into their communications and responses -- and with understanding the sense of life and play that they have in common with children, ourselves, and other human beings:

https://graphics8.nytimes.com/package...cience/rat.mov

also here: https://video.google.com/videosearch?...emb=0&aq=-1&oq=#

If that doesn't bring up the video and soundtrack of the ultrasonic laughter, it can also be found by clicking near the end of John Tierney's short article here:

https://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/...-for-yourself/